


Abandoned...to Live

by Lasairiona



Category: Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic (Video Game)
Genre: Backstory, Child Abandonment, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-20
Updated: 2020-08-20
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:53:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24293905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lasairiona/pseuds/Lasairiona
Summary: A Chiss woman leaves her newborn child in hopes that the baby will be able to live a safe life from those who would destroy her.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 6





	1. Chapter 1

A pounding on the door draws Marion away from the text he’s studying. Now what could that be? He folds his spectacles and leaves them on his desk before walking through the sleeping house to the door. He was the only one up at this godsforsaken hour. A new artifact arrived that day for the Alderaanian Museum, and he couldn't stop his excitement to learn all about it so he can ensure it has the proper display and respect it deserves. His wife never did understand why he so enjoyed his job as Museum Curator.

Whatever he expects when he opens the door, it isn't this. A hooded figure stands in the entryway. “Help me!”

Even in the two words, he detects an Imperial accent in the female voice. A defector? A spy? “What?”

“Please, help me! They'll kill her if they find us.”

It’s then Marion notices the swaddled bundle in the woman's arms. _A child?_ He motions her inside. He'll hear her out, he decides as he closes the door behind her. “Who will kill her? Why would they do—” He stops short as he turns around and sees that the woman has lowered the hood of her cloak.

Her skin is a pale blue, the same color as the mountain lake on a clear summer day, her hair a deep black. Solid red eyes stare at him. He can feel their intensity.

_Chiss._

“Please,” the alien whispers.

He mentally shakes his head, wondering if he rattled his brains by reading too many scrolls in the middle of the night. “How?”

The woman glances down at the bundle in her arms. “Take her.”

“What?” Marion kicks himself. Is he suddenly only capable of speaking in single syllables now? He takes a breath. “Explain, please. Who is coming and why would they kill the child?”

“The Ascendancy.” A tear falls from her eye onto the child, who gurgles as only newborns do, before they've started even laughing.

He swallows. If The Chiss Ascendancy is after the child, there are few places that would be safe for her. “Why do they want her?”

The woman looks at him again. While her answer surprises him, he knows it shouldn't as it was considered a generic flaw by the Chiss governing body. “She's Force sensitive.”

Marion isn't sure how long it takes him to pick his jaw up off the ground. Force sensitive Chiss are exceedingly rare, both because Force sensitives are already uncommon and the Chiss either kill or experiment on any within their ranks. While other races see them as special, the Chiss consider them an abomination. “But she's just a baby! How are you so sure?” he finally stammers.

“She healed me... when she was still in the womb.”

Again, he finds himself at a loss for words. He never heard of even the most powerful Jedi doing that. A child that powerful would be near impossible to hide from The Ascendancy if this Chiss woman expected to continue her life in Imperial space. “What would you have me do?” he finally asks.

She hands the baby to him. “Give her to the Jedi.” She kisses the baby's forehead. “The Sith are too close, with the deal the Empire has with The Ascendancy. The Jedi can train her, shelter her from them. They can teach her how to shield herself.”

“Very well,” he agrees, after a lengthy pause. “One of the Council owes me a favor.” He watches the woman turn to leave. “Wait—what's the child's name?”

She looks down in shame. “I knew I had to give her up, and I couldn't bear that burden. She doesn't yet have one.” Her breath hitches, and Marion can see the tears streaming down her face. “Make it a good one, and make sure she knows she was loved.”

With that, the woman slips away, leaving the historian holding the most vulnerable—but possibly the most powerful—child in recent history.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The abandoned child begins her Jedi training, but is reminded how different she is from her human peers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chiss reach adulthood by 11, so I figure they grow and develop twice as fast.

The young girl curls up behind the shelves, hugging her knees as sobs wrack her body. They were scared of her. She didn't mean to throw a wall of Force energy at the other youngling, but when he called her a freak, she'd been so mad. She could still see him in her mind, flying through the air, sheer terror contorting his face. The other pupils screamed, and when the boy remained still after landing, the girl ran.

She hadn’t meant to hurt him, or throw him across the training field. Yes, she's head and shoulders taller than the other children in her age group, more closely resembling the eight year olds rather than the four year olds that surround her. Add to that her blue skin and hair, her solid red eyes, and the human children were quick to single her out. 

“Eithne?”

At the sound of the Jedi Master's voice, the girl curls up tighter in hopes that she can remain undetected. She whimpers as she hears footsteps entering the room. The shelf trembles as her already high emotions climb, data pads and holocrons flying across the room. The Jedi stops as the shelf teeters.

“Eithne, he's fine. Come out.”

A crackle of Force energy shoots across the room, charring the wall where it touches. “H-he called me a freak,” she stammers. She knows she's different than the human younglings, but so are the Twi’leks, and they aren't subjected to the same treatment.

“That doesn't mean you can Force push him across the field.”

“I didn't mean to!” The shelf flies across the room, splintering before it impacts against the stone wall.

“I know you didn't. Our use of the Force is tied to our emotions, Eithne. Control your emotions and you'll control the Force.”

“You always say that,” the girl grumbles.

The Jedi smiles, crouching in front of the child. “Because it's true.” He reaches out a gentle hand to wipe her tears. “Have you been working on your meditation?”

She can feel the calm radiating from him. “It's boring.”

He laughs. “I thought so too when I was your age.” He takes her hands in his. “But it's the Jedi's most useful skill. That's how you get to know yourself and your place with the Force.” He kneels and closes his eyes. “Reach out with your feelings. See the Force surrounding you.”

“I hate kneeling,” she grumps, but follows his directions. She concentrates, seeing glowing tendrils stretching out from her like a spider web. Except, it's not smooth. It looks ragged. Frayed. Fractured in places. Her master's Force energy is the polar opposite. Smooth. A soft glow surrounding the man.

“Now, set the holocrons down. Just lower them to the floor.”

She frowns as she focuses on the glowing cubes, the tendrils surrounding them smoothing their frays as they lower them to the ground. “I did it!” At her excitement, one of the data pads explodes.

The Jedi squeezes her hands. “Yes, you did. But you mustn’t let your elation at success let you lose your focus. You haven’t released everything yet.”

Eithne nods, struggling to regain her focus. The data pads circle in the air before gently floating to the floor. She balls her hands into fists in an attempt to stem her excitement at succeeding a second time.

“Very good, Eithne. This is why meditation is so important. Do you see how much better your control was when you focused?”

“Yes.” She opens her eyes, images of her Force spider web fading from her vision.

“Now,” the Jedi gets to his feet, helping the child up, “do you want to tell me what had you so upset that you Force pushed Ray’thel a hundred meters?”

Eithne looks down, scuffing her toe on the floor. “He called me a freak. Says I’m not like them.”

The Jedi Master sighs. “In many ways, you aren't like them, young one, but that doesn’t make you a freak. It was wrong of him to call you that.”

“I don't want to be diff’ren’.”

“Different doesn't mean bad. You're special. Unique. But I'm seeing now that we need a make a training program specifically for you that will meet your needs.”

“You're scared I’ll hurt someone,” she states, dejection clear in her voice.

He takes a deep breath. “It is a concern. You have incredible power within you. We just need to ensure that you’re able to control it.” The Jedi Master squeezes her shoulder comfortingly. “Now, work on your meditation while I speak to the Grand Master about your training.”

Eithne frowns. “Okay,” she relents, after thinking about it. “But I'm not kneeling.”

Her master laughs and ruffles her hair. “So long as you’re comfortable. See if you can put the holocrons away.”


	3. Chapter 3

“Thank you for setting me on such short notice, Master Satele.”

As always, the petite Grand Master of the Jedi Order is the perfect image of serenity and calm. “Of course, Master Simeon. You sounded concerned.”

Simeon nods, clasping his hands together behind his back. “One of the younglings I believe needs her own training regimen. Away from the others.”

Satele's eyes betray her surprise despite her schooled features. “An odd request.”

“A necessary one.” Simeon takes a breath as he focuses his thoughts. “I'm sure you've heard we have an... unusual student. Abandoned by her mother on Alderaan with a request that we take the child in. We had reason to believe that her connection with the Force was a unique one, and it showed how unique today.”

“You're speaking of the Chiss?”

He nods at the question. “I've never seen such a strong connection to the Force. Today, she did things that I've not heard of from one so young. For the safety of the other younglings I feel it's imperative to train her away from the others until she has a better control of her abilities.”

A slight frown creases the Grand Master’s brow. “What happened?”

“She accidentally Force pushed another youngling across the training field.” He watches the surprise spread across the woman's face as his words sink in. “And... there's a broken shelf and data pad in the library, but she managed to set the holocrons down without exploding any.”

“She's only four,” Satele whispers in awe. “Even though Chiss mature faster, that's still unheard of for even a ten or twelve year old human.” She gives a single nod. “Your request is granted. I want you to oversee her training. Keep me upraised on her progress.”

“Of course.” He bows his head respectfully before leaving the Council chambers. When he returns to the library, he's not prepared for the sight before him, even knowing that the child is exceptionally gifted.

Eithne stands in the middle of the room, her hands clasped together close to her chest. A soft white-gold aura surround her, and the holocrons all hover in an arc around her. A smile crosses her face as he enters the room, though she doesn't open her eyes. As he watches, each one floats to a shelf before gently bring released. It's only after they've all been replaced that she opens her eyes and grins triumphantly.

“Did you see that?” She's bouncing on the balls of her feet, her actions reminding him that even though she's incredibly strong in the Force, she's still a child.

“I did. Very good, Eithne.” He motions for her to follow him. “In time you'll be able to do much more than juggle holocrons. I see great things in your future.” He leads her out of the library and to a less used area on the grounds. A heavy sense of responsibility settles on his shoulders as he looks at his young charge. Beginning her training will be his biggest task for the Jedi Order yet.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Times like this make Eithne wish she was Force blind. Then she wouldn't have nightmares of things that may be true. Then she could lose her temper without causing an groundquake.
> 
> Then she might actually still be with her family, instead of cast out to be a misfit even among other Force users.

The smell of fire overwhelms her, the acrid smoke burning her nostrils and throat as it makes its way into her lungs. Screams pierce the air, punctuated by the staccato of blaster fire and hum of lightsabers. She doesn't recognize the world, the tall buildings and bright lights a sharp contrast to the lush greenery of Tython. What she does recognize is war...hatred...death.

Eithne rolls out of bed as the vision fades, falling to her knees as she fights the nausea that accompanies the images. She can feel the floor begin to tremble under her. The Force is quick to answer when her emotions reach out to it, but times like this make her wish she was Force blind. Then she wouldn't have nightmares of things that may be true. Then she could lose her temper without causing an groundquake.

Then she might actually still be with her family, instead of cast out to be a misfit even among other Force users.

The groundquake strengthens with her heightened distress. _This is why you live out away from everyone. Two years away from the Temple and you still can't control your emotions._ The young girl takes a deep breath. _Calm your mind. Meditate. That's what Master Simeon always says._

She takes another breath. “There is no emotion, there is peace.”

Something in the room breaks, and she cringes at the sound but keeps her eyes firmly squeezed shut. “There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no emotion, there is peace.” Her voice rises in pitch as the ground’s shaking continues to intensify.

_No emotion. No fear. You have the power to stop this._

Eithne swallows at the confidence her inner voice has, but she nods, as if talking with a friend. “Okay,” she whispers, still unsure. She staggers to her feet, finding it impossible to stand in her normal meditative pose with her feet together and hands clasped in front of her chest that she favors. Instead she keeps her feet apart, her knees flexed, taking up the fighting posture that Master Simeon is teaching her in the new combat lessons they started. With her slightly lowered center of gravity and hands out to the side, Eithne finds she's able to maintain her footing, even as the floor rolls underneath her.

“I can do this,” she murmurs, her gaze fixating on a spot on the wall. _Good. Now focus on your breath. In. Hold. Out._

She lets her eyes relax, her vision becoming blurry as she breathes in and out slowly. Once her breathing finds a comfortable tempo, she summons the Code to mind. _There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no passion, there is serenity. There is no chaos, there is harmony._

The quaking has nearly stopped, only the slightest tremors remaining when she whispers the last line. “There is no death, there is the Force.” A ghost of a smile touches her lips as she resumes her normal meditation stance, her crimson eyes closing now that she doesn't need to worry about losing her footing. “I did it.” Her soft voice is filled with awe and more than a little relief. She didn't know what she would have told Master Simeon if she would’ve brought the building down on them.

 _I told you you could_ , her inner voice chides. _You shouldn’t doubt yourself so much._

“Eithne? Are you okay?”

Master Simeon’s voice startles her from the doorway, and she spins to face him faster than she should, given the dizziness that accompanies the action. “I... um... had a nightmare, but it's okay now.” When her master’s eyebrow twitches, she looks down at the ground, her eyes taking in the broken glass on the floor from the Force quake. “There was a city—nothing but tall buildings. It was on fire and there was fighting.” She swallows back the bile as the images resurface. “There was death and pain and sadness.”

Silence falls around them, Eithne finally looking up at her master’s pale face. “What is it?” she asks.

“The Sacking of Corusant. That happened just a couple months before you were brought to the Order. You hadn't been born yet.”

“Then how...?”

Simeon sits on the edge of her bed with a sigh. “Your people, the Chiss, when they show Force sensitivity it’s usually what they call Second Sight. Visions granted by the Force of things to come or things past. They also either grow out of it, or hide it as they get older.”

A frown creases the girl’s face. “Why would they hide it?”

“The same reason that your mother brought you to us.”

A twinge of pain settles in Eithne's chest. “Because it’s a flaw.”

“Because the _Ascendancy_ sees it as a flaw. It's not. It's a gift, especially the deep connection that you have with the Force. I haven't seen one as young as you—even if compared to the other species at your same developmental stage—with the raw strength of the Force that you have.” He stands resting a hand on her shoulder. “I sense great things in your future, Eithne. Don’t let your fears cloud your potential.”

“Yes, Master Simeon.”

“Good.” He pats her shoulder before heading back to the hallway, pausing at the door. “Try to get some sleep. Tomorrow I want you to summon another groundquake...but away from the buildings.”

The humor in his voice is unmistakable, and she smiles in relief that she’s not going to be reprimanded for the unintentional damage she caused. “Yes, Master.” 

Alone once more, she climbs back into her bed. The peace she found during her meditation remains, and she falls into sleep with a smile on her face and no more nightmares or visions disturbing that solice for the rest of the night.


End file.
